Spring Special Issue – Microfictions

Following the launch of each of our issues, we cajole one or more of the contributors into a mini interview with the Trash Cat.
Here they will reveal some writing wisdom and tell you what trash critter they identify with most. Important stuff like that.

Today, we have return bin offender Sophia Adamowicz
You can read her spooky, mystical micro, Fairy Bell HERE and listen to an amazing reading.

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Q: What piece of writing advice/ crafting rule would you trash?

A: Anything along the lines of, ‘Don’t use XYZ, because it sounds like AI,’ where XYZ could be semi-colons, em dashes, the rule of three, using two adjectives instead of one, etc. Generative AI spits out these things because it’s trained on existing writing. Avoiding them won’t necessarily protect you from unfounded accusations. Write what works for the story, write what’s true, avoid Gen AI like the plague in all creative spheres and keep an accurate record of your work to show it’s human-authored.

Q: Which writers and magazines do you go to to find treasure to read?

A: Alongside Trash Cat Lit, I enjoy The Mardler, which is the official zine of the East Anglian folklore centre, Shuckzine, Cunning Folk and Hellebore.

Q: What trash, or otherwise, animal do you most identify with?

A: At a workshop hosted by a shaman from Bedford, one of the participants told me with absolute certainty that my spirit animal was a beaver. Now, I don’t necessarily believe she had the gift of sight, but it’s undeniable that I share traits with the long-toothed rodents: we’re industrious creatures who like to splash about in the water and chew on things (wood for beavers, pens for me).

Q: When your writing mojo is trashed, how do you recharge?

A: I always like to be doing, so rest and relaxation doesn’t cut it. I’ll attend a workshop or a course with a solid goal in mind.

Q: If you could offer three tips to writing short treasures, what would they be?

A:
1) Let yourself be truly weird and weirdly truthful.
2) Think as much about the sound of the prose as the story itself.
3) Tie up the ending with a twisty bow.

Q: What is one thing, if spotted in a crowded charity shop/thrift store, you would just have to buy

A: A ghost figurine. I have a haunted shelf in my office.

Sophia Adamowicz is a writer and tutor based in Suffolk, UK. Her work has appeared in several publications including Cunning Folk, Crow & Cross Keys, Haven Speculative and Trash Cat Lit. Her debut novel, The Brink, is released next year. Substack: @sophiaadamowicz